YWAM Perth Serving | Kimberley Region

Photo cred: SBS (bottom of post)

Read more: here

"When a young person takes their own life, devastation can be a word to describe the aftermath for friends, family, and whole communities. In March of this year, the nation reeled at the news of the death of a 10 year old girl in the community of Looma, located 70 km south of Derby in the Kimberley. The ABC quoted Gerry Georgatos, part of a Federal Government taskforce providing crisis support to families affected by suicide: “It is tragic that a young child would be so trapped in a sense of hopelessness… it’s a tragedy that needs to be heard across the nation…” This incident is not an isolated event, with the Kimberley region, Western Australia, recording the highest suicide rate in the world....."

What are we doing?
Finish reading this article: 

 www.ywamperth.org.au/articles/seeing-change

Incredibly grateful, in the light of this surge in statistics, that we serve a God that is able to lead the way.. and help us serve, honor, and love these communities.

Photos from the Kimberley region

Our Neighborhood | Perth, Australia

Little Bell Place

Been inside a bit this winter. Odd. Australia is so so so much colder than I remember. The days are like cool October, and the early mornings and late evenings, drive me to put my winter wool jacket on. Maybe I don't remember properly because a majority of our treasured memories are with people, and I spend most of my time indoors alone when I am cold. The silly things you realize you didn't remember properly.

This is just a post to share a bit of those quite times... what our world looks like so far here.

From our dining area to our living area. Some Gumtree (kinda like craigslist) couches we got for quite a steal, and the vintage dining table we found on the side of the road. The shelf to the left that we are holding onto for some fellow workers that are on the other side of Australia. Throw blankets here and there we brought with us. 

This little stand, clothing hanging contraption is what we put our cloths on (obviously)
15 AU at the Reject shop... Which is kinda like a small wares 'Big Lots'.

.


This: is my laundry outside.



Still getting used to hanging laundry to dry. Australia, has been far, far, wetter than I remember it...
In the summer, it takes about 30 minutes outside to dry your clothing. It's amazing. Why own a dryer!? While I am still adjusting to the winter.. after 2 days of rain I realized they were not going to dry. Fancy that.
So I pulled them inside, and put a space heater near by.
Voila' !

There was an evening it warmed up so I cracked the window.. So nice. The air is fresh in this city. Feels like you live in a very large small town.

Matt:

He is either reading a WWII book here, or his bible.. honestly, I have never seen the man read so much.. and he is a reader!But he's also, just super dedicated to his work. He serves his heart out, and studies up real hard about his convictions to use music to do ministry. Every night it's a different thing on his plate to meditate on, figure out, or write down.This table is now a desk next to our bed. after we found that vintage one on the road.

Our (1.1 mile) walk every day to the base...

We walk through a large footie park, right now its rather soggy, so sometimes. So if we are wearing our winter boots.. yes. If not, it's sidewalks the whole way.

Imagine mid-November cold rain, lots of rain, for all you northern North Americans.

On the weekends, there are footie games (football/soccer), up to 4 I think at a time.. for a match it seems. Very very cultural. Hundreds of teens just playing kick-the-ball around the corner from our little apartment.  

Didnt imagine this much green eh? In Australia.. parks are taken care of well. Especially in the city. This is what you get. Though because it is winter, and rainy I have yet to get caught in a public sprinkler system!

We walk past a dog park, another small park (pictured below) and through the greenspace infront of stadium..  Over all when you think of Australia, you don't think of this much green. I have to keep reminding myself, its because we are on the coast. Only 30 min drive from the ocean, and a shorter walk from the base to the Swan river which leads to the ocean.

Trees that actually loose their leaves in the winter.

I think that's pretty much it, for our neighborhood, and living space so far. Next time maybe we will share a little about the base and what it looks like for us to be in our ministries in the day to day.. eh?


Thanks for reading - Now go do something productive!

Fusion Event | Homeless Advocacy

It was a cold winter's evening in the city of Perth and people from all over had gathered at a local Baptist School in one of its rural suburbs.  As the sun was setting with a slurry of rain pouring outside, the people inside enjoyed their quiet conversations, displays of artistic works and small activities. Outside, under a covered walk way, were performers, bands and speakers all representing different organisations. The opportunity was open to raise awareness, to network those that would like to eradicate homelessness in their local region, and to raise finances to be able to serve the needs in their area. To do the latter, individuals opted to join in on a nation-wide campaign to #sleepinyourcar and experience what life was like for a person who only had a car for a bed and shelter. There were a good 20-30 cars in the lot, waiting when we left, to be slept in; each sponsored by their friends, families, and communities.

During the night we learned that there were numerous advocacy groups, shelters and recovery centers all over the region. It was rather eye-opening to see all of these different groups networking and serving in an area of need. Street chaplains, shelter volunteers, mentors from rehabilitation centers, and local advocacy leaders. My personal favorite, was a really cool (and previously homeless) guy, who trained people to learn and to focus on employment; to be dog-walkers and trainers as a way to become empowered again, to regain momentum, and to be employed longer term. Some of the dogs being walked were from local shelters. Those dogs in particular became trained to help veterans, and the disabled. Cool idea!

Fusion Australia is ‘a non-profit Christian Youth and Community organization with a deep and ongoing commitment to developing resilience in individual lives and the community through local initiatives’.
This includes, but is not exclusive to, homeless youth which in Australia makes up 42% of the homeless population.** They did a wonderful job in bringing the community and many other organizations together for one night.

Though the event was hosted by Fusion, YWAMers also played a very active role. We had a band ministry (Musicians for Missions) contribute, bringing and operating the sound board and equipment, sharing a few songs and contributing to the story sharing times.

We had Art Refuge, another ministry in YWAM that had worked for several years with the homeless and displaced people of Perth, come and share some insights through art that had been created from those very people. People that had been homeless, and even some from those that had served to those people being homeless. Many of the pieces were declarative of 'family', 'home', and the 'journey' it takes to get out of a seasons displacement or homelessness. The ministry also put out an activity table where others could draw out their thoughts, or write declarative statements over homelessness. 

Another ministry from YWAM, supporting Fusion with their presence, was the Resting Place, a pioneering ministry establishing supportive family homes for young women between the ages of 14-18 (those homeless, or at risk of being homeless). What a great event for them to make connections, and build bridges in the city.

YWAMers, from the ministries of  Priceless and Nexwave set up, and served a sausage sizzle. Priceless is a ministry who serves in prevention, advocacy, reseach, networking, and restoration in the area of modern day slavery. Nextwave is a ministry that mentors and invests in youth through high school seminars, camps, mission trips, work experience, and trainings
Interwoven between speakers from different organisations, were also some YWAMers who shared testimonies and encouragement.


Among all the speakers, there were numerous individuals who shared their stories of what it had been like for them to live through homelessness. After the our time was done; a major reflection, was hearing the those testimonies, including what circumstances got them there – sharing about how they got help, recovered, and found hope with the support of the community around them, including ministries and organizations like these.

** Info gathered by 2012 Census sited here -http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/index.php/about-homelessness/homeless-statistics

"Fusion Perth's Sleep in Your Car 2016 - a night of live music, speakers, art, activities and discussion all centred around the topic of homelessness and aimed at bringing people together to share stories and learn from each other. Followed by a sleep-out to raise funds for Fusion's ongoing work with young people experiencing homelessness in Perth!" - Fusion Perth, Australia

From Fusion Perths' Facebook page: 

"Thanks to everyone who came along to 'Sleep in Your Car' on Saturday night - musos, artists, poets, sleepers, speakers, volunteers and visitors. We raised almost $500 to add to our online total of $3,400 - and just look what we've achieved nation-wide! Keep those donations coming#SleepInYourCar2016"

MORE photos on their facebook page...
https://www.facebook.com/fusionperth/?fref=ts 

Important links:

What is "Sleep in Your Car" all about?

What is it like to feel homeless?
For a winter night in Australia, experience it ...at a 'sleep in your car event'.

http://www.sleepinyourcar.com.au/

Statistics

Summerized - http://www.sleepinyourcar.com.au/more-on-homelessness/

Full report on Youth Homelessness - http://apo.org.au/resource/home-and-away-child-and-youth-homelessness-report


QUICK VIDEO / ABC NEWS FACT CHECK: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-10/fact-file:-an-interactive-snapshot-of-australia's/7156044

More info about:

Fusion, Western Australia

http://www.fusion.org.au/wa/index.php?p=perth

Painting Series: Video Project

So, I am working on a series of paintings for the last couple weeks.

A while back, non-profit outside of YWAM offered to donate video and media equipment to our ministry, if we created a couple of videos for them.

Several videos in, I arrived. This, I have just heard, will be our final video.

I am now working on an illustrative video of the story of a man, who was adopted, as the laws in Australia for adoption are on the verge of change. The video will end up being focused on the care and focus of adoption to be for the children's sake first.


Unfinished painting/illustration...

Because this is a ministry outside of YWAM, I am not sure that I have permission to share the video publicly- so out of respect for that, I thought I would only share as much as I have.

At least this way, you can see what I have been working on. "work in progress "...

Changes, and challenges.

Old Building.

Everything has changed here just enough at YWAM Perth to feel like a whole new base, but the atmosphere, community, and common mission still feel like home. It has been a little under a month since we landed, but we are still finding our footing, and settling in in so many ways.
You know, like an Aussie phone, and a substantial amount of furniture.

When Matt and I left back in February 2012 (Yes, it has been that long), we as a missional community were moving into a whole new building. I say 'community' because we house, train, and send out 100-200 every quarter of the year, into the nations, along with the 200+ long term staff that serve, and live here.. Many are young singles right out of high school or university, but there is also quite the array of long term staff that are families of all ages... and can you imagine... all different cultures -- all actively living and serving together on the daily. It's amazing.

So.
Huge, brand new building.

Initially, when I first started serving with this base -about 10+ years ago if you can believe it- in the 150 Claisebrook building - which was a decently sized one-story rented warehouse, with a jointed offices, walled in kitchen, classrooms for teaching, and a small parking area outside.  It had been well established for a number of years even before that..

NEW building!! She's a beaut!

The building we moved into... God led us as a whole base -we designed specifically to serve all of the needs we had as a base - we raised money, donations, and served hands-on to make happen. It was built for us, from the ground up. You can say, there is a strong sense of ownership because Matt and I were a part of that. "I spent time tiling that floor!" or "Wow, I remember praying for that *insert detail here*"
Which - sometimes makes me want to cry,.. because there was so many things I prayed into, partnered with others in trusting God for, and just you-know,... dreams eh? You see bits and pieces of what people envision and you are incredibly excited with them to see what God will do!

When Matt and I went back to the States, YWAM was just on the verge of moving into that building... its like, as a 'family' we were trusting for our first house, that was fully ours.

So, to say that we are adjusting culturally even to YWAM life, is not a tiny matter...

There are so many new people here! So many new ministries, and training ('schools' is what they are called here.) It's mind boggling... PS. Matt is amazed at how many faces I actually DO remember,.. and their names, and sometimes their ministries -- and many of them (due to the work they have done in other countries) are not even on Facebook!

On our end, directly effecting us:
But also, ministry wise.. Matt has been serving in Musicians for Missions... which-when-we-left was only just beginning... is now with several (literal) stages and seasons behind them!

Note:  

This weekend, he and a few other musicians will be serving/playing at a benefit for a local organization called Fusion, who works with displaced and homeless in the city of Perth. 

Personally I am rather excited. As they have already done some work/serving on the street, building relationships with locals several times a week... hoping to continue those connections.  Trusting for amazing things to happen, through him and his team.

On my end, the number of media team members has already outgrown the office we are physically in. I am working on a few different projects, of which I will show you when I get a proper photo eh?

Until then, thanks for keeping up, for your enthusiasm, feedback, and prayers as we figure out this journey -- haha -- and how to actually share it with you!